Trip says thanks to bomber veterans

Veterans (from left) Harry Cammish, Wally Halliwell, Des Hall, Eddie Leaf and Doug Williamson with a restored Lancaster bomber at Motat. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Dressed in smart navy jackets bedecked with pins, grey hair combed and parted, five war veterans stand in front of a restored Lancaster bomber joking about their service during World War II.

"Oh, you were a '42 man, were you? You're even older than me," Harry Cammish says in a thick North Yorkshire accent, teasing Eddie Leaf.

The men were gathered in a hangar at Auckland's Motat museum yesterday for a briefing on what Mr Cammish said was sure to be one of the highlights of his life.

A so-called "fairy godfather" has paid for their trips back to their homeland so they can visit a memorial dear to their hearts.

The veterans - Mr Cammish, 89, Wally Halliwell, 91, Des Hall, 88, Doug Williamson, 87, and Mr Leaf, 90 - were excluded from the Government-funded trip to London in June for the official unveiling of the Bomber Command memorial because they did not serve in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The five fought with the Royal Air Force, moving to New Zealand a few years after the Allies' victory and, although all are naturalised Kiwis, were not eligible for the trip.

But a couple of weeks ago, Mr Cammish got a call - he was to be one of five veterans going to London at the expense of Auckland entrepreneur and philanthropist Ian Kuperus.

The founding director of Tax Management New Zealand said he was inspired to do something special for the men after reading in the Herald that they had missed out.

"I was impressed by the spirit of the men and the contribution they'd made to our country, to our freedom. The ability for us, for this generation, to do something to help them and to commemorate their comrades, it seemed like a great thing to do.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to do this for them in their lives," Mr Kuperus said.

So on September 19, the veterans and their travel partners will fly to London. Mr Cammish is especially looking forward to it as he will celebrate his 90th birthday on the way over. "It'll be the best birthday I've ever had."